Reviewing the Skywalk

2019-03-21

Leaning along the edge of the enclosed bridge, Kyle Rickman was staring out into his city. His left hand was cradling a precious cargo, his notebook for this case. He’d only been working on the case for a few days, but it was already mostly full, and there were plenty of thoughts circling around his mind just none particularly helpful. Kyle’s frown was warmed by the setting sun, but he fought the growing smile as he scratched the stubble invading his chin. He turned to lean against the railing as he reviewed the facts he had recorded. There were a lot of things that might be useful, but he didn’t have the central thread to pull it all together, yet. And he was running out of time to help his client.

Except for the latest fact, sighing Kyle tapped his pencil on the new lead and hoped that his friend would be able to run the test quickly. He slipped his pencil into his shirt pocket as he put his notebook back into his pocket, then Kyle grabbed his phone, so to call the lab to see if there was an update, but before he could unlock it a call from his office came in. “Gregory, what do you want?”

“I’m sorry, but I thought you wanted immediate updates,” Gregory said with a hint of defensiveness thick in his voice.

“No, not when the victim identified our client as the attacker.” Kyle lowered his phone for a minute before to lose an impressive string of curses. When replaced the phone he heard Gregory say, “This was not a good job to take.”

“Remember two a few things, Gregory. First, we met when you were framed for murder. Second, the victim admits to being struck from behind and only got her view of our client as she regained consciousness.”

“I know Kyle.”

“And Third,” I said ignoring his affirmation. “I found a syringe that was buried where the assault took place.”

“You’re not exactly in the best part of the city, Kyle.”

“It’s also not a ghetto, but that’s why it’s off being tested.”

“Who’s delivering it?”

“Thomas.”

“He’ll ensure the custody of that, but he’s not cheap.”

“I’ll worry about that, you make your way to the lab and make sure they don’t screw it up.”

“Yes, sir,” Gregory said as he hung up.

Going back to his notebook Kyle re-read the statements, and the consensus was she walked from east to west which meant she passed that small tower almost hidden from view. When Kyle started to remove the trappings, he realized that it was an ATM. And that brought a smile to his face. He pulled out his phone and instantly called Dwayne.

Silence greeted Kyle when the call was answered, so he just spoke knowing his friend was there, “Dwayne I need something.”

“What?”

“I need some pictures of a particular ATM.”

“Good for you.”

“I’m serious.”

“Fine, who owns it?”

Kyle quickly found the bank and passed that along, “Can you get into it?”

“Probably but given your line of work, I’ll assume you want something a little more on the up and up than me hacking into it.”

“What can you do?”

“I know some of the cyber guys at all the major banks.”

“Really?”

“We’re a small community.”

“Okay, what’s that get me?”

“A copy of the pictures you need, what’s the date and time.”

Moments later Kyle was looking through images on his phone and was amazed at the detail, though he was a little skeptical as to how Dwayne managed to get them so quickly. But it didn’t matter, he found a photo of the victim and a note that the image would have been gone in another day. Kyle called a friend over at the police and asked him to come to the skywalk, about twenty minutes later two officers arrived.

The other he didn’t know first asked, “Why are you poking into my case?”

“Because my client’s innocent.”

“We have an id from the victim!” The officer insisted.

“I think these will clear my client,” Kyle said with a smile as he handed the officer the photo he’d printed, at a nearby convince store.

“Where’d you get this?” The officer asked.

“See that ATM?”

“You hacked an ATM?!” The officer asked as he reached for a pair of handcuffs.

“Absolutely not.”

“How’d you get it Kyle?” his friend asked.

“Look another day, and that image would’ve been gone, so can we skip the small talk. It clearly states that the victim walked past the ATM a good four hours before she was found by my client. Then there’s the second photo that shows a man behind here wielding a syringe.”

“A syringe?” My friend asked with enthusiasm.

“I found a syringe where the attack took place.”

“Where is it?” The other officer asked getting into my face.

“Taken to the lab that your department contracts out to.”

“How’d it get there?”

“Thomas,” Kyle answered as his phone rang, excusing himself, and his partner told him that the chemical residue in the syringe is something rare and unpronounceable, but it can render someone unconscious almost instantly. And after a prompt Gregory added, that somehow he’d been right.

“Excellent,” Kyle said as he hung up and addressed the officers, “Gentlemen I thought you should know that there was a rare drug in that syringe, capable of rendering someone unconscious. Also, my client’s brother, who is a chemist, and happens to be rather jealous of my client, has been threatening to disgrace my client in the eyes of their parents.”

The officer was furious, but he stalked away while Kyle’s friend replied, “As long as all of this checks out your client will be going home tonight, Kyle.”